Vintage Style Hire ~ Antique Props For Styling Your Wedding Day…

Hi my loves :)  New followers of Love My Dress may not be aware that in August this year, I hosted my very first major wedding industry networking event, a Summer Soiree, at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Arts in Gateshead.  I was determined to pull of something spectacular outside of London given so many industry events already take place in in the Big Smoke, and thanks to the collaborative efforts of many brilliant people and suppliers, the event was a huge success – you can read all about it and watch a video here.

One of the people who was absolutely critical to the success of the Summer Soiree was Kate Fletcher.  Kate owns 'Kate Fletcher Events', a wedding planning company, and 'Vintage Style Hire', through which Kate hires out beautiful vintage, antique props and paraphernalia to style weddings and events with.

Vintage Style Hire Hire was one of two event styling companies that worked with me on the Summer Soiree;  using a thoughtfully selected collection of antiques and vintage props, Kate and her lovely assistant Sian set about transforming an empty corner of a modern function room into a little bit of vintage boudoir heaven. It was amazing and really evoked that 'I've just stepped back in time' kind of feeling; there were antique chairs and tables, wall hung frames, bowler hats, telephones, typewriters and all manner of boudoir chic bits and pieces like a handheld mirror and brush set, jewellery and accessories. It truly was something really very special.

Prior to the Summer Soiree, I had absolutely no personal experience of working with an event stylist/planner in my life;  my Husband and I styled our own wedding day, but my goodness me, little did we know back then what an immense difference a good event planner can make.  If I'm brutally honest, I think I'd always thought stylists and planners were the stuff of people with wat too much money to be worrying about wedding budgets – my belief now couldn't be further from this; a good wedding planner/event stylist is worth their weight in gold and I will go so far as saying they should be one of the top considerations when budgeting for an event.  I would certainly never, ever plan any party or event again in my life without working with one.

This short promotional film, showcases some of what Kate Fletcher and Vintage Style Hire do best; create beautiful scenes and evoke a wonderful sense of the past using their collection of vintage and antique goodies…

Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Film Production Copyrigh (c) 2011, Natasha Stanbridge for Vintage Style Hire

I got talking to Kate about her beloved collection of antique goodies for hire.  All the images below are from the film above and showcases Kate's work in collaboration with some of her favourite suppliers – Kate is used to working with different suppliers for each event she provides styling services for…

"I launched my Wedding & Event planning business ' Kate Fletcher Events' over two years ago now. Whilst styling the weddings I organised with my own things, I realised there was a gap in the market for vintage rental, so launched 'Vintage Style Hire in February this year.

My business is located in Essex and so can provide easy service to the Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk area, though will happily travel further afield depending on the clients budget. {Kate travelled around 300 miles to get to the Summer Soiree in August!}

For me, every couple and every wedding is so very different – I always shed tears during the speaches! Each wedding opens up new ideas and new suppliers to work with…"

Love My Dress Wedding Blog – Photography Copyright (c) 2011, Charlotte Griffiths

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"Since obsessively searching the Internet for inspiration for styling the weddings I organised, I realised that all the images I was being drawn to were coming from The States, where they had a wedding planner, stylist and vintage rental companies.

It dawned on me that I could offer all three of these services, and I immediately set to work compiling an  inventory of everything I could possibly hire around my house! My husband started to get a little worried!

I now source items specifically for the business and can happily try and find specific things clients are looking for.  I can simply hire the items for you to style yourself or I can style them for you, along with other supplier items ensuring everything is as you wish, or provide a full styling service…"

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"My collection is quite unique – I have built it up over twenty years of attending and scouring flea markets, junk shops, boot fairs and reclamation yards. Its quite an addiction! I've even shipped things back to England from Australia when I went travelling when I was only 19…"

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"I don't really have any particular style – I tend to just buy the things I love and mix them up a bit. There are very few things in my house from the High Street though – I wouldn't pay the prices for a start and I like to own things that others don't – unique products that you don't see everywhere else and can't replicate.

I've tried to keep my prices very reasonable as I'm thoughtful that not everyone has a huge styling budget – my hire items literally start at £1."

Pink Blancmange 7 Autumn Woods2

Autumn Woods3

Autumn Woods3

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Paperwork (7) Paperwork (3)

Paperwork (7)


Tea Party 9 Pink Blancmange 1

Pink Blancmange 7

 Pink Blancmange 1 Pink Blancmange 8

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Pink Blancmange 9 Pink Blancmange 9

Tea Party 8

Tea Party 9

Beautiful stuff and a gorgeous Autumnal inspired photoshoot to leave us feeling inspired.

THanks so much Kate for sharing all this pretty.

Kate would like to extend a 10% discount to all Love My Dress readers who place orders of £150 or more {excludes delivery}.    To enquire about this kind offer, please drop Kate a line via email on [email protected].

Are any of your smart Brides out there planning on hiring an all round creative lovely and event stylist like Kate?  If so, please please please let me know if you work with Kate! I would love to see some photographs! 😉

You can see some more blog features that showcase Kate's inspirational work on Love My Dress here – they include these beautiful colour inspiration shoots of green and pink.

Now you might want to check back at lunch time, as I've a rather marv competition coming up at abouuuuuut that time!  It involves shoes ladies.  And designing your own pair. And winning them for keeps  😉

Much love all,

Annabel xXx

 

Credits
Film Maker – Natasha Stanbridge 
Design & Styling – Kate Fletcher
Vintage Hire – Vintage Style Hire
Photographer – Charlotte Griffiths
Florist – Violets & Velvet
Jewellery – Rose & Aster 
Stationery – Coquette, Paper & Press
Hair & Make-up – Fern Worsley 

With thanks to:
Bride model – Emily Harris
Flower girl – Lizzie McLeod

Annabel

Annabel View all Annabel's articles

Founder of Love My Dress. Passionate Podcaster and Editor. Annabel lives in rural North Yorkshire with her husband and business partner Philip, their two daughters and menagerie of furry hounds. She loves photography, meditation, walking, being outdoors and star gazing. She is fierce when it comes to championing talent within the wedding industry and when she's not working on Love My Dress, she supports her husband Philip in the running of the family's sustainable flower farm and floral design business, Moonwind Flowers. In 2013, she became a published author.

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